


Orochimaru/Reader Works

by Cry_Kitty



Category: Naruto
Genre: Amnesia, Autophagia, Blowjobs, Creepy, Daddy Kink, Doctor/Patient, Dom/sub, Drama, Drama & Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Fingering, Fluff, Hair Pulling, Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, Kinks, Kinky sex, Light Dom/sub, Masturbation, Mental Disease, Mental Health Issues, Mental Illness, Mental Institutions, Orochimaru - Freeform, Pregnancy, Public Sex, Romance, Rough Sex, Sappy, Secret Crush, Secret Relationship, Semi-Public Sex, Sensei - Freeform, Sensei / student, Sensei / student relationship, Sex, Slice of Life, Spanking, Teacher-Student Relationship, Torture, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Weird Romance, Yandere, body worshipping, love makes crazy, merman, merman fanfiction, relationships, skinny love, slight hair kink, snakes of course, turning yandere
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-23
Updated: 2018-10-27
Packaged: 2019-02-06 00:31:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12805695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cry_Kitty/pseuds/Cry_Kitty
Summary: I will post my Oro one shots and ongoing series here!!Been a fan of him since 2011 and I finally feel like I´ve reached a good level of writing so now I´m confident to post my work.The stories will all have individual themes and scenarios and are told from reader´s point of view.Please give them a go, I would really appreciate it <3I´m happy about every single comment and like <3<3<3





	1. Autophagia

**Author's Note:**

> The tale of how Orochimaru once loved and turned into the way he is now.
> 
> (Also I´m really sorry if I characterized the disease wrong!)

“Damn!”

The clash from a broken syringe echoed through the room. The injected skin of the boy turned purple and reminded vigorously of poison. The pale, bound arms tried to struggle, the chewed off fingertips dug into the metal table while the involuntary patient tried to let out a scream which ended in a hoarse cry.

Orochimaru let out an annoyed sigh and allowed his tired eyes to rest for a second while Kabuto came running to silence the boy. The expectations had been very high this time. He had thought that this would be the cure, the end of sleepless nights and weeks he had spent in the lab hissing at his subordinates. Rustling up a live organism with the same disease had been difficult enough.

He needed to get away from this failure. Leaving the struggling boy behind, he pushed the heavy doors open and left the lab. The dying light that shone through two bullseye-shaped windows illuminated the back of his head and refrained this way from stinging his eyes while the troubled man moved forwards. The dark creepy hallways seemed harmless next to the snake-like scientist.

He moved past the prisoners who hurriedly scurried into the back of their cells as soon as they saw the black haired man walk by. Orochimaru couldn´t care less if they feared him. Fear meant respect, recognition. The distance to his destination grew smaller and smaller. Which each step he shed a piece of his grudge because of the incident in the lab.

As soon as the heavy door opened, Orochimaru´s shoulders slacked off as he felt the stress melt away from his mind and body. His gaze was already focused on the young woman stirring in the sheets, his sharp pupils dilating. It seemed like the girl roused from a half-sleep full of tumultuous dreams. She let out a whine that was muffled by a face mask and her movements were constricted by a straitjacket. Orochimaru approached her and sat down next to her on the bed.

“Good morning~.”

He was completely changed. His voice spoke in a warm, soft tone. He released her from the restrains and gathered her up in his arms with a soft glance. As he did, the fabric uncovered the bite marks and gnawed off skin of her fingers and arms. The girl protested silently and rubbed her eyes with cramped movements. Her arms and hands tingled from being held in one place for so long and she started to sob.

“Shhh, darling.” Orochimaru cooed while he rocked the girl in his arms. She continued to sob which he hushed with a quick kiss to her badly bitten lips. The young woman squirmed a little but relaxed after a few moments, sinking into his hug. Whether it was from tiredness or affection didn´t matter.

“Good girl.” Orochimaru let a smile pull at his lips while he held her tight and ravished in her presence. With her next to him he felt at ease. She was his precious little secret.

His long fingers combed through her hair while his eyes darted over her features. Did her condition improve? Aggravate? Did the side effects of her countless medication start to show? So many things he had to worry about. His nails peeled some caked blood away from her chin. He despised dirt.

“I will order someone to draw you a hot bath. Would that be good?”

While Orochimaru held the young woman, her regular breathing slowed down until she seemed to nap against his shoulder.

“Yes, go to sleep. I´ll be visiting you again tomorrow.”

And with that, he put the ties back on and kissed her goodbye, letting sleep take her back into its safe arms. He felt just as bound as her as he walked back into the lab to experiment for what would be another sleepless night.

She was his dark little secret, waiting for him in the most hidden place of his hideout. With every day her disease affected her brain further, at this point she would try to eat up her fingers and hands if no one kept her restrained. Even so, he would do everything in his might to keep his precious girl alive and well.

The weeks rolled by without any further improvement. Just when the formula was almost finished completely, they were faced with bitter setbacks that slowed down completion.

Another failed attempt. Orochimaru wiped the sweat off his forehead. The bright light of the neon tube blinded him as he leaned his head back to take a deep breath. He needed to see her. Now.

The heavy door opened with a creak and Orochimaru rushed in.

“Good morning, my dear.”

The familiar rustling of sheets failed to appear. A little worried, the tall man sat down on the bedside and pulled down the sheets to reveal the young woman sleeping.

“Wake up, darling, it´s morning.” His amused voice hid the worry that rose with every second.

She didn´t open her eyes, only scrunched her eyebrows together instead. Orochimaru pulled the blanket down further and took off her straitjacket as well as her face mask in a hurry and scooped her up in his arms. She still continued to sleep as he brushed the side of her face.

“Are you not happy to see me?” Something in his voice broke, while his eyes scanned her body to find a reason for this unusual behaviour. He unconsciously held her tighter, waiting for her to open her eyes, which she didn´t.

He felt strange. His heart beat like the one of a scared bird while his eyes darted over her fragile body. It had to be the medicine. In order to keep her safe in this room, the drugs helped her stay asleep most of the day. Usually it wasn´t a problem to wake up when Orochimaru visited her, but right now that seemed to be the case.

The medicine had been Kabuto´s idea. Orochimaru´s eyes narrowed in anger as he set the young woman back on the bed and put the blanket on her.

In a minute he was back in the lab. A metal table flipped over and in the next second, Kabuto was pinned to the wall by his master that had grabbed him by the collar.

“You said the drugs wouldn´t hurt her.”

Instead of fear, a smirk tugged at the assistant´s lips. “I´m sorry, my lord. I tested the medicine on several patients before and I can assure you that it worked perfectly.”

The grip around his throat tightened as sharp yellow eyes stared daggers into a pair of glasses. He had never talked to Kabuto like this. Her condition had to really get to him.

“Do something.” It came out in a low hiss, fangs baring while snake-like eyes shone with threat. After these words, Orochimaru released the hold on his assistant and walked into his quarters to get some sleep.

After two weeks, they finally found the formula. It was already too late. As Orochimaru removed the seals to get into the room, a strange apprehension let him freeze to the spot.

Her head peeked out from under the sheets. Her body didn´t seem to move and also her chest didn´t rise up nor down. Orochimaru slowly walked to her bed and sat down, holding her in his arms for what would be the last time. He had to blink to see clearly, stroking over her head for what felt like hours. The wet feeling on his cheeks was new. She was dead. And the last bit of his humanity had died with her.

After the black haired man left the room, he returned to his lab. Kabuto looked up from some paperwork, eyes fixed on his master´s expression. Why was he back so soon?

“Get someone to take care of her body.”

The words didn´t fail to bring a smirk onto the assistant´s lips. As he was about to walk out of the lab, when his master´s voice stopped him.

“Kabuto. Close the files about the whole project. We will focus on our main goal again.”

Kabuto nodded, seemingly pleased with the orders. He opened the door and stepped out, being just about to close the door.

“That was what you wanted, wasn´t it?”

Orochimaru´s words had him freeze to the spot at once. The fear vanished from him after a few seconds however. If Orochimaru wanted to kill him, he would already be dead. Just how had he found out about this?

The black haired man watched his assistant walk out of the door and turned to the messy desk. Soon there wouldn´t be any trace left of the work they had accomplished down here. It would be like the woman never existed in the first place. Kabuto must´ve thought his master was wasting too much time on this pointless project. It was quite amusing how far his assistant went to direct Orochimaru to the right channels, even though his raspy laughter got betrayed by just the smallest sting in his heart.


	2. Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by "poison&wine" from blackkat  
> You live in a boring town and discover something adventurous in the sea...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Give "Sea" by BTS a try! The meaning is beautiful <3

Supporting your head lazily with one hand, you wait for the teacher to hand back your test. Her round belly makes it hard to pass through the rows of desks until she merely stops before you, the sheet of paper raining down before your eyes, followed by a harsh remark.

You´ve hated this town ever since your parents moved here. This town, which was more of a prison than an escape from the busy city life, this town where rural stupidity was standard, this town where there was absolutely nothing adventurous or magical to see or explore.

The paper crumpled under your fingers as your angry steps echoed in the hallways. It hadn´t even been the end of class yet, but your disappointment couldn´t wait. Where did you want to go? Every side of town was the same; old, reclusive idiots wherever you looked.

You find yourself stomping towards the old bay and down the landing stage, sliding your school bag from your shoulders and fishing for the cluster of tests you wrote this year. Before you even know it, you throw them out on the sea, on after another. The surface is still, your name written in sharp red letters blurs while the colour mixes with the water. The tests swim on the surface like little paper boats made for small elves who take on a trip to cross the sea that might seem like an ocean from their perspective. For some reason the image gives you peace and you sigh before you sit down, the tips of your shoes dipping into the ice cold water.

For a moment you close your eyes, thinking of a life without this stupid school, without this stupid town. Then you take your bag and leave.

 ° <>< ~°~ ><> °

Next week you find yourself back at the bay, letting the next test get swallowed by the sea. You sit down and take a moment to breathe while the tips of your shoes dangle in the water. That is until you look next to you and find a stack of paper neatly organized and held in place with a stone. Raising an eyebrow, you gather them up and almost gasp in shock as they turn out to be the tests you dumped into the water last week. How and who…?

“Stop fouling my sea.”

There´s something very firm and damp gripping your ankle and before you can even take time to gasp, the force is pulling you downwards. From one second to another you are submerged. The ice cold water surrounds you and drags on your clothes. Through the greenish and darkish water of the sea you try to make out something, probably the cause for your quick dive. The rays of light partly break into the water and reflect on the surface. It´s as if light and water play with each other, tangling together and yet unable to mix. The shock of the coldness has you frozen, unable to rise despite your instinctive movements on saving your life concerning the little air that is left in your lungs.

Every thought in your mind is washed away and you close your eyes. The pressure of the sea is calming and inviting, its coldness almost kind of soothing as you feel yourself sink.

That is until you feel the tight force once more gripping your wrist. And this time you´re sure it´s a hand. In the next seconds you find yourself above the surface, gasping for air and spluttering. Your mind is focused on an attempt on not letting you suffocate, while you are halfway pushed onto the landing stage. You struggle to breathe, eyes wide in shock and body shivering from the coldness.

Your eyes fall on something dark in the water. Following long, drenched curls over milky white shoulders, there´s a head sticking out of the soft waves. One by one, you drink in everything you see. Golden, elegant longish eyes that glare at you, white, wet, sleek skin that holds a purple shimmer, pale lips. It´s hard to avert your gaze.

For a second there´s only silence while your brain tries to process. Then you find your attitude. No matter how beautiful this strange creature might be, this punk just pushed you into the sea and almost made you drown!

“Well, you´re one ugly fish.” Your voice is still hoarse and you can see how the other one raises an eyebrow, smirking at your half-hearted insult. Doing so, you´re able to see a pair of fangs and you shudder as you´re struck in awe once more.

“Are….are you a mermaid?”

The other person´s expression darkens. „I am not. “ He hisses. The deep and sensual voice startles you.

“Why did you collect all my tests?”

“As I said, they are fouling my sea. Don´t just dispose of them here, kid.” His head turns and he obviously wants to swim away.

“Hey, wait!”

He looks back over his shoulder, stern eyes seemingly uninterested in anything you have to say. The next words sound kind of silent.

“Why did you save me?”

With a small sigh he turns back around and you find yourself frozen to the place as you take in both of his mesmerizing eyes.

“I can´t use a corpse right now, girl. I didn´t intend to reveal myself to you but I guess I had no choice. Now go home.”

You want to continue the conversation but he just swims away. “Oh, and make sure to do better on your tests next time.”

° <>< ~°~ ><> °

It has been one week since you met the merman at the bay. Since then he hasn´t left your mind for a minute. The mesmerizing creature has been comfortable nesting in your mind, crossing your thoughts at every possible occasion. Sometimes, you thought about going down to the bay but your sudden shyness keeps you back. What would you say? Would he even like to see you again? The more you think about him the more you grow desperate as you realize that your heart suffers.

After school you finally decide to pay the merman a second visit, bag full of small doodles you made of him. Only a few metres away, the doubts begin to rise once more and you halt your steps. That is until notice a man in work clothes rolling a barrel in the same direction. He gets seemingly nervous at your presence and picks up his pace. “Hey! Don´t dump that into the sea, are you stupid?” The worker jerks at your voice and gets a hold of the barrel. “E-erm, no. I just... took the wrong direction.” Hurriedly he leaves without another word. You frown and let your gaze drift over the sea. There´s only one factory in this town, they hopefully wouldn´t use this as their chemical disposal.

Quickly you remember the reason for your coming and your thoughts drift again to the beautiful merman as you sit down close to the water. You almost let out a shriek as you suddenly find him next to you, casually leaning his upper body onto land.

“Y-you startled me!” While you calm down your nerves, there´s something in the merman´s eyes that hadn´t been there at your last encounter.

“I didn´t mean to. I merely wanted to thank you for taking action.” His eyes carry the significance of his words and you nod softly. Having this wonderful creature thank you sparks up a great opportunity of conversation – no matter if this was his intention or not.

“No big deal.” You say, a toothy grin on your lips as you lean back slightly. “By the way, my name is ____.”

“Orochimaru. It´s my pleasure.” For some reason his fangs flash while he introduces himself and you wonder if he would actually be able to chop you into fish food. His appearance holds something wild and dangerous, something untamed and powerful. No matter his attractiveness, his sly eyes don´t betray if he wants you to indeed receive his thankfulness or if he plans on luring you in like the bad wolf in the woods. You are so ordinary compared to him. How could you not fall in love?

° <>< ~°~ ><> °

You pay him a visit now every day at the small valley in the woods. Sometimes you come just to talk, sometimes you take a swim. Having Orochimaru close puts you at ease. His voice makes your heart dance, his smile makes you blush and his trust is a present you keep dearly. With each day he feels warmer and you can´t help but admit that you´ve fallen in love.

Today you wake up from the sound of a bird picking against your window. When you open it, the bird lays a shell into your hand. It´s one of those which you only find at the very bottom of the ocean.

After school you immediately go to the small valley by the sea. Orochimaru doesn´t let you wait long. You greet him with a smile and take off your jacket, showing off the shell that now dangles from a necklace.

“I see you received my present.” His words are warm and his muscles deliciously tense as he leans his upper body on land.

“I like it a lot. Thank you.” For a moment you´re mesmerized by his dripping hair that falls in endless length over his shoulder.

“Would it actually be possible for me to breathe underwater just like you?”

You asked him a lot of questions before, almost like an oracle. Why does he care so much about the sea? Because whatever condition it might be in, it´s the merman’s destiny to be struck with the same. He has lived many years like that, almost 320, to be precise, but as the sea is in good shape, he will keep being ageless and live and protect the sea and the organisms living inside of it.

However, Orochimaru´s eyes change at your question and he thinks for a minute before he speaks.

“There is indeed. I would have to kiss you.”

Your gaze is able to tell more than words can and so he leans in with a smile and kisses your lips. You close your eyes while your cheeks start burning. His lips are still wet from the water but they spread warmth throughout your body, while you try to cool your fingertips in his hair. Slowly, he leans backwards, and both of you slide into the water.

It´s different this time. It´s like the melody of the sea has been translated. You gained the knowledge of a book you never read before as your lungs start filtering the water. They begin to feel full but there´s no such thing as drowning. Everything feels like it happens through a thin curtain. It´s tangible, but later on you would need to ask yourself if it really happened.

When he eventually pulls back, you can see how you sink into the depths of the sea, intertwined in a hug. It´s not the only thing the kiss has made possible. While you lean in for a more passionate kiss, you feel a foot scraping against your leg.  

 The next morning wakes you up by warm rays on sunshine touching your face. Arms keep you firmly in a hug from behind and you trace them with the tips of your fingers. Every touch of his skin feels like a dream, like the light brush of a leaf. It´s unreal yet wonderful. Black scales tickle your leg as you stir. Unlike most merman, Orochimaru´s tail looks more snake-like. The problem of how to get him in his sea-form out of bed is solved by a kiss, followed by further amendment.  
A gift for a gift, a heart for a heart.

°oOo°

You followed the happy chirping as you paced through the woods. It was rather warm so you had left your jacket at home, joyfully awaiting to see him again. Your heart raced in your chest as you came to a chemically polluted pond. Your vision got blurry as your eyes fell on stray black scales in the mud.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments appreciated <3


	3. Sensei - part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sensei!Orochimaru x reader
> 
> Being the student of one of the great Sanin wasn't that easy, especially when you had a giant crush on your sensei.

Being the student of one of the great Sanin wasn't that easy, especially when you had a giant crush on your sensei.

But you couldn't help it. Those long silky black strands of hair and golden eyes had caught your heart at first glance. It was silly, yes, but he was just so different from everyone else in this village, like a precious jewel hidden between a mound of stones.

Training was hard and Orochimaru brought you to your limits in almost every training session, but seeing him smile proudly at the end of the day kept you going. He didn't let you relax for a second, what wasn't that bad since it kept your head away from your stupid feelings that thrived like lush-red mandevillas in the back of a locked shack. He knew how you felt, but chose to ignore it. Nonetheless, he treated you like something special. You were his very first student who he usually favoured. That indeed came in handy because jealousy stung hard when it came to your Sensei.

You were eighteen, having passed your chūnin exam a few years ago and now being at the brink of becoming a jōnin. Orochimaru would soon be getting new students and stop training you so this could be your last mission together. Only the thought of it made your heart ache.

When the day finally came, you had troubles eating your breakfast. The sweep hand became a weatherglass for the feeling of wistfulness and despair. It felt like even though your feelings kept you glued to the ground, with every second you moved closer to an inevitable abyss.

Led by obligation you made your way over to the arranged place. None of your other teammates were there yet and you sat down, eyes glued to the ground as you suppressed a deep sigh.

"Is something bothering you, ___?" Orochimaru had appeared without making a single sound and you jumped a little, trying your best to brighten up your expression. It was something he did since the very first day and you still fell for it.

"No. I'm just tired, Orochimaru-sensei."

A sly smirk crept over the pale man's face. "You never liked getting up early. Isn't that so, ___?"

You nodded, happy that he remembered. Your conversation was interrupted as the two other teammates joined and you got going. The mission led you to the land of birds which was a few daytrips away. There you should meet your target which you would accompany back. It was a B-rank mission so even though it sounded easy, the chances that you got attacked weren't too high.

Everything ran smoothly. You picked up your target and were on the way back when you ran into an ambush, just a good 10 minutes away from Konoha.

One of your teammates grabbed the target and vanished while the rest of the team fought the enemy. They fortunately had an arsenal of bombs as huge as three firework shows.

The attack came from the middle. Just before the bomb went off, Orochimaru grabbed your arm and jumped to the side, getting separated from the rest of the group. He had quickly pressed you to his chest and as you two landed, you only took a step away from him against your will, heart hammering in your chest while you were trying to get an overview of the situation. Your other comrades were nowhere to be seen.

Quickly a few enemy ninja circled and attacked you, while you tried to fight them back against back with your sensei. Your strategy was to attack them with Ninjutsu and Kunai. It went smoothly until you heard a horrifying sound from behind. You held your breath in shock as you turned around while everything surrounding you started freezing.

The kunai pierced right through his chest. Deathly pale hands clutched the metal blade while blood seeped through his attire and dyed it a deep dark wine red. Widened golden eyes glued you to the spot while his breath came out in rattling gasps. You were unable to move, watching with horror as your world began to crumble. His hair that usually resembled black silk was dishevelled and dull, his face even paler than usual. You heard yourself whisper his name as hot tears flowed down your cheeks. Being so distracted, you didn´t notice the ninja coming from behind.

This may have been your last moments on earth, hadn’t there been someone to push you down with all force and throw a jutsu against the enemy. The collision with the ground cleared your mind and you blinked a few times.

You quickly turned around and were surprised to see your sensei above you. His usually warm eyes scowled and his features held a pained expression. It had been an illusion and you had fallen for it.

Orochimaru´s voice was sharp as he hissed. "How can you be so careless? This is what all the training was for, ___, you could have easily gotten killed!"

Your eyes filled with new tears as they looked back at his. It was not like him to have outbursts of anger. He had a cut on his cheek and you reached out your fingers to lightly trace it. He had gotten hurt because of you. He had put his own life in danger.

Your voice trembled with guilt. "F-forgive me..."

You looked at each other for another second. His expression softened and in the next second, his lips met yours. It felt heavenly. You buried your fingers in his hair while he hovered above you. His lips felt like they were made especially for you, moving against yours carefully and rough at the same time.

Orochimaru pulled back to let the both of you catch some breath. The lacking feeling of his lips was unbearable and made you soon lean in again. Orochimaru did nothing to intervene. This time, he wrapped an arm around your back and lifted the both of you into a sitting position. His tongue traced your lower lip and you more than willingly opened your mouth. With a snicker he grabbed the back of your head and let his tongue touch every place inside your mouth. It felt heavenly, intoxicating, and you never wanted to part from him again. His taste was sweet and rich, poisonous but addicting at the same time. It felt dirty and forbidden but so very good.

Unfortunately, this wonderful moment was disturbed by a loud bang. Both you and your Sensei pulled back to see the source of the noise. The hostile ninja dashed at you with a katana in each hand and one in his mouth. His eyes glinted with victory. Orochimaru liquidated him with a mere move of his hand.

“We should transfer this to a better location, don´t you think so too?”

You nodded in a dazed like state. His lips had checkmated your sanity and sent you into a dream world right away in which nothing existed but his wonderful touch.

One of the entrances to his underground labs was ten minutes away from the gates to Konoha. You only remembered blurry, dimly lit corridors and a door protected with a series of complex seals before Orochimaru brought you back to reality with a heated kiss. He pushed you up against the wall next to the bed and you wrapped your legs around his hips to keep you from falling. Everything was spinning when you felt his touch. Orochimaru was the only thing you needed to hold on to. He was the only thing to keep you sane, the only thing that was worth living for while he made everything else seem trivial and dull.

As Orochimaru broke the kiss you wanted to protest, not willing to let go of his hair that laid like thick ropes of silk between your fingers, though he eased your burning need with bites that he placed down your neck. Small moans emitted from your half open mouth. His fangs threatened to pierce your skin, making you shudder in delight with how rough he was.

Your core was burning with want and you daringly ground against his hardening groin, eliciting a low growl from your Sensei. His grip on you tightened and he ripped open your shirt, letting his tongue dance over your sensitive nipples. The sensation made you hiss while you gripped into his hair and did your best not to let go of his hips. You were sure you would never forget the wild look in his snake-like eyes. The black of his hair, the gold and subtle lavender of his eyes were the only colours and you wanted the whole world to be painted in them.

Although the sensations were vivid like fresh water in your mind, it was hard to remember when and how you found yourself on your back, only in panties. The bedsheets held his comforting scent and you smiled up at him in trance until his eyes found yours in a serious stare.

“Tell me, have you laid with a man before?”

At the weak shake of your head Orochimaru let out husky, vicious laughter.

“I see. You wanted to retain your purity for your Sensei...”

His lips rippled upwards and bared threatening fangs.

“What a good girl you are.”

The way he mocked you made you furious and without thinking about it, your hand lunged out and slapped across his cheek. It left angry red streaks behind which stood out on his otherwise flawless skin and you instantly felt guilt cooling your anger like ocean waves sweeping over sand. It had been impossible to let these idiotic, stupid teenage boys have a go at you. Nobody could in the least stand a chance in comparison to your Sensei.

Orochimaru gazed at you with a mixture of amusement and something that told you he would not let your actions pass without consequences. You opened your mouth to mutter a silent apology, but before you could even realize what was happening, he had gripped your hips and turned you around forcefully on the bed. While you tried to straighten yourself on your elbows to avoid being suffocated by the pillow, your hips were pulled up and you received a sharp slap to your backside.

The slap resounded in the room and you felt a heavy weight on your back as Orochimaru leaned forwards to hiss in your ear.

“That´s the punishment a student gets for rebelling against her Sensei.” His voice was husky and mocking and you wanted to growl back at him but a certain sensation made you squeak in surprise. Your panties had been pulled down and something hot and wet was rubbing up against your entrance. You could feel your face flush as you bit your lip to avoid any other sounds.

It made your hair stood on end as you heard the sound of snapping latex. “W-wait…!” You turned your head in confusion to see that Orochimaru had put on a disposable latex glove like the ones he would usually use in his lab. The smirk on his face made your skin burn in both discomfort and curiosity and before you could ask him what he was going to do, you felt his fingers rub where his member had been moments ago.

Your Sensei´s smirk grew wider with each small sound you made until he boldly entered you with one finger. You squirmed under the unfamiliar feeling of the glove, but he gave you no time to adjust as he added the second digit. The sharp pain was short but intense and as Orochimaru pulled his fingers out, the tips of the glove were covered in blood.

Given that the glove had served its purpose, it was discarded and replaced once more with your Sensei´s elegant fingers. You protested silently, but they teased from your slit upwards until you felt them massaging your clit with a thumb. The sudden burst of pleasure had you moan into the pillow and soon you were pushing backwards.

“Look at you, turning into a moaning whore beneath my hand.”

Orochimaru´s words made your face burn up in shame but at the same time, they turned you on for an unknown reason.

You whined as his hand left you and got replaced once again by his member. He was rubbing it against you, alternating between your entrance and clit and eliciting moans and whines out of your throat until you were a pleading mess. It felt so right. You had wanted it to play out like this, to be at your Sensei´s mercy while he took the childish innocence off you.

“P-please… don´t tease me, I can´t t-take it anymore!”

“Fine with me.”

The sudden violent thrust took your by surprise and you bit your lip hard. Tears built up at the corners of your eyes as you squeezed them together to try and ease the pain. Orochimaru´s thrusts were hard and rhythmical, grounding you deeper into the sheets every time. His hand gripped on the headboard of the bed for support while the other one reached for your body and grabbed your breast. He squeezed tightly, making you moan out while he went on to kneading the tender flesh.

The new sensations were overwhelming but they felt too good to stop. Above the sound of your own moans, you could also hear the ones of your Sensei. Soon you could feel the pleasure adding up to the point where it was starting to make you desperate for release. Without thinking about his possible reaction, you moaned out his name, loudly. Orochimaru´s breathed hitched next to your ear and you were scared he would scold you but then he pulled you up onto your knees while he kept pounding into you from behind. You had to put a hand against the wall for support while you felt his heat on your back. Suddenly he grabbed your hair and carelessly pulled backwards. It made you groan out in pain which ended in a mewl of pleasure as he, still with traces of his usual rough treatment but yet surprisingly tender, sucked and bit at your exposed neck once more.

You also wanted to care for him, to turn around and kiss and mark every inch of his neck until you heard him moan breathily but the pleasure was too great to amend your current position. As your peak neared, you pushed your hips back on him, desperate to bury him deeper and deeper inside. The overwhelming, hot waves of release hit you as his fingers found your clit again. When you gained back your mind, you found yourself next to your Sensei on the bed, the both of you hot and sweaty.

He had his eyes closed in bliss and panted, black strands of hair sprawled out over his shoulders and sheets. After weakly calling out his name, his eyes opened only a little bit. You couldn´t imagine what he was thinking right now, but hopefully he felt the same as you did. Not being able to resist, your finger came up and brushed over his lips. For once he did nothing to stop you so you had to lean forward and catch them in a lazy, passionate and also shy kiss.

It had happened so quickly. Your Sensei had taken your body and you had done nothing to stop him.

“You should clean yourself up.” His voice sounded calm and collected while you were still a panting mess. His hair spilled like running water over his shoulders as he stood up and took a few steps to go to the bathroom. As if he suddenly remembered you were still there, he stopped and took a hesitating look over his shoulder. You were struggling to get up, having to deal with a new kind of pain. Slowly, he made his way over again and lifted you up.

His features held no expression at all as he carried you over to the bathroom but you did not refrain from leaning your head against his chest while he walked.

He sat you up on a counter in the bathroom. The shower cabin had no walls, actually the whole room could be considered to be the shower. You felt slightly more awake as the warm water poured down your strained body, having gotten a bit hazy after your release. Now you dared to take a look at your lower region.

“It will be sore for a few days. Walking will also be a difficulty.”

You could only give it a weak nod, being focused on watching how the water dripped down Orochimaru´s neck and chest. Right now you felt so distant and melancholic. Wrapping your arms around his shoulders, you pulled him towards you. His hands which were about to turn off the shower froze as you carefully tilted his head, leaning forwards to place an affectionate kiss on his lips. Orochimaru didn´t respond, probably deliberating whether or not to push you away for your constant annoying overtures.

Maybe you had found a switch of some kind because after a few moments, he indulged and kissed back.

The soft caresses of your Sensei made your head all dazed and sleepy, as if he was lulling you into a deep slumber. Before you knew it, the heavy eyelids fell closed and you were asleep before you could ask yourself whether or not Orochimaru was going to join you in bed.

 

From the moment you knew you were awake, there was something weird lingering in the air. Opening your eyes, the events of last night kept coming back. The mission had gone wrong, you and your Sensei had went into his labs and… and you both had… ugh. As much as you felt excited merely at the memory, as it was noticeably from your rosy cheeks and glistening eyes, it felt kind of strange. Did that made you two lovers? From how your heart pounded quickly in your chest as you smelled Orochimaru´s scent on the covers, you certainly loved him. And the night with him had felt more than wonderful.

So why was he not in bed next to you? A sick feeling came to your stomach. There had to be something off. As you stepped out into the hallway, you noticed the lab looked like some thief had ravished and robbed the large dungeon. But that couldn´t be the case. There also was no trace of Orochimaru or anyone else down here. Did that mean…? Well, what did that mean?

Hoping for the best, you found your way out of the strange rabbit hole and entered the gates of Konoha. As soon as they laid behind you, a voice called you over.

“____, the Hokage wants to see you immediately.”


	4. Purpose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Falling into the hands of a villain while dealing with amnesia is quite difficult to deal with. But your fate has been decided the very second you opened your eyes.  
> Can you change this for the better? And does Orochimaru have a heart?  
> We´ll see...

Light, white harsh light blinded your sight and made you blink a few times reluctantly. Your mind felt hazy and you felt like trapped in a dream as you tried to take in your surroundings that were distorted into a kaleidoscope of greyish and blueish pieces. _Am I dreaming?_

The surface you were laying on was cold and sleek and your limbs felt too heavy to move. The fatigue made it hard to even keep your eyes open and you searched in your head for something, anything that would help you remember where you were. But your mind was just as blank as your spirit. You didn´t feel anything, caught helplessly in being the silent beholder. _Why can´t I move?_

Slowly, the wide facets collected together and created an even pattern. Everything around you laid still until a big shadow leaned over your face. It was a welcomed change for your eyes. There were fingers touching your neck and you felt a sting of pain. After a few moments you felt collected and the clouds seemed to have faded from your mind.

Black hair hovered only inches apart above your face, like a dark, all-consuming curtain that protected you from the bright light. Without thinking, you slowly lifted your hand to play with a strand of it, twirling it and letting it glide between the tips of your fingers.

“Ah, ah, ah. Don’t do that.”

Another hand grabbed yours and pulled it away. The paleness of the skin stood out in a contrast to your own. You found it… _interesting_. At first you were surprised to hear an actual voice, the light scolding raising nothing but confusion.

The big shadow leaned back and so did the hair. Your eyes stung as the bright light hit them again and you could lift up a hand to shield your eyes. Slowly your gaze wandered upwards until you saw the other person´s face.

He just stood there and watched, towering over you like danger itself but you were still a tiny bit too dazed to feel scared.

 _Is he real? Am I only imagining him?_ It was quite possible, because something seemed off about the perfection of his features, the mesmerizing eyes, the silky hair, the sharp fangs.

“Are you a doll?” You asked sincerely, interest and slight admiration in your voice.

The velvety chuckle of amusement surprised you once again.

“No, my dear. I´m afraid that´s not quite the truth.” His eyes seemed to hypnotize you while he spoke.

“But your skin looks like porcelain.” It was not a compliment, nonetheless his smirk widened.

“Didn’t your mother teach you not to judge a book by its cover, dear?”

_Why is he calling me “dear”? I am precious to him?_

“Who are you?”

“So many questions. I´m Orochimaru.” His voice held something proud and you wondered why.

You repeated the name in your head a few times, but it sparked nothing up.

“And… can you tell me who I am?”

Another chuckle that you couldn´t quite read made you frown slightly.

“You are Mina from the land hidden behind the leaves.”

Should you believe his words or not? As you tried to get a hold of the chaos inside your head, your gaze fell on his dark locks again. Without thinking your hand softly played with them once more, careful, without pulling or tangling it. It was such a soothing activity and you could feel the questions in your head fall silent.

But once again Orochimaru´s hands came up to pull yours away, making a strange feeling of disappointment and sadness rise up inside of you. The sight seemed to amuse him.

“What is going to happen to me?”

Orochimaru leaned over you again and fiddled with some things that rustled over the metal surface.

“You are going to help me in reaching my goal. It´s a very important task and only a few are fitted to fulfil it.”

His words tried to falter you but instead they evoked a new wave of confusion.

“I see you don´t understand. I´m going to explain it to you, dear. It is my goal to become invincible and immortal. You on the other hand, my dear, possess exquisite genes that are going to help me creating a human with the perfect DNA. It might help me in the future and work as a new body or simply to conserve my genes. It will bring me one step closer to my goal.”

Nothing he said made sense and you rather watched his delicate pupils widen and narrow as his eyes darted around than listening to his words.

“So I´m helping you to… create a human.”

“Exactly, dear.”

Helping was something good so you had nothing to worry about, right? But the last part was what made you frown. “Creating a human” sounded very strange.

 “…do you mean I´m… going to bear a child?”

This time, his chuckle had something wicked. It made you frown once more.

“You´re smart. And a pretty little thing, too. Yes, you´re going to bear a potential new body for me.”

You should have felt something as he said those words. But all you could feel was heavy confusion.

“Is it going to be painful?”

“Don´t worry about that, my dear. You´re going to be asleep most of the time.”

Another thing that you just couldn´t understand. _Why would I be asleep?_ But then again, sleep sounded not so bad after all. Yes, sleep seemed to be a very good option.

“Orochimaru?”

He let out a small hum but continued to work and fiddle on some tools.

“…I´m cold…”

You hadn´t even checked if you wore anything at all but the realization hit you so suddenly and now your body was basically shivering. Orochimaru eyed you up briefly, then pulled a thin blanket up to your neck. It had previously laid on your feet and you were confused as to why it hadn´t been up in the first place.

Then the pain began to crawl into your skin, began to slowly lick at your bones and numb the tips of your fingers. Every movement brought a greater unpleasant sting that echoed through veins and nerves, until your vision started to blur.

“Make it stop!” Your voice wasn´t more than a throaty whisper. Your lungs felt like a leaky balloon in which the air disappeared as soon as you inhaled. Only now you noticed the green surgical gloves before the erratic, clanking melody of the medical instruments sent you to sleep.

You were sure a lot of time had passed when you woke up next. The way you breathed, the way you moved, it just wasn´t the same. You sat up before you opened your eyes, feet not meeting the ground. Your fingers groped onto thin sheet that gave a comforting, rustling sound.

“How do you feel?”

His voice made you open your eyes. He felt like a distant relative, a fleeting encounter and yet so familiar. As your gaze darted downwards you were met with a surprise. The feeling had been right, some time must´ve passed because your body, not having changed much otherwise, displayed a round belly.

The shock must´ve been clearly in your eyes because Orochimaru read it off your face like a menu.

“I had been right about your genes. This is the only attempt that has lived up to five months. From now on, I´d rather keep you conscious. I´m tired of waiting, you see?”

Orochimaru visited you almost daily to check on your and your baby´s health. It became a routine and seeing him every day didn´t dampen the fascination you had felt for him the first time your eyes had landed on the exotic looking man. It was quite the contrary. Maybe it was the fact that you bore his child.

It was in the middle of the sixth month that you started going into labour. It just happened so quickly. In one minute, the room was full of people who tore down their jackets to put on surgery gowns, tore down your clothes and strapped you to a medical table. Being dazed from all the injections that they pumped through your veins, you faintly called out his name. _Where is he? Is my son in danger? Will he survive?_

At last you saw him, a grim look on his face while another man stammered nervously at him.

“Potential danger… may die… have to get him out now… another attempt…”

You called out his name again and he looked up. His beautiful golden eyes met yours. Your gaze pleaded for him to come over and surprisingly that was what he did. The other ones retreated slightly as he came and you were able to sit up.

“Please, I want my baby to be fine! I´m ready to do everything to safe him, tell me he´s going to be okay, please…”

Orochimaru kept silent while you started to cry.

“Please! I… I´m ready to die for him, I´m ready to save my child!” You looked at the man that had been talking to Orochimaru a minute ago. “You can safe my son when you let me die, right?” His nod was almost unnoticeable, but it was enough.

Orochimaru scowled and the corners of his mouth twisted downwards. You made a last attempt and pulled him closer, staring pleadingly into his eyes.

“It´s our son, let him live! Let him live, please!”

Slowly he leaned down until he was mere centimetres from your face. “If you´re dead I cannot make another attempt.”

“It´s going to be okay, I promise!” You pleaded, teary eyes full of hope. Your shuddering hand cupped his cheek and you tilted your head forwards to press the lightest of kisses to his lips. It was the first and last one you two would share, but it felt right and gave you strength in your decision.

“I found my purpose.”

His eyes were as cold as always but that didn´t matter. Maybe it was merely to show respect because you had spent so much time together, maybe it was because he didn´t want another failed attempt or maybe because he had actually grown fond of you. Whatever the reason was, Orochimaru stepped away and accepted your fate. The unspoken goodbye hung in the damp air, partly interruped by the sound of machines and medical instruments clanking together. Almost like a déjà-vu. 

Soon you would be nothing more than rotting sand and dirt, not able to compare to a living human being. But your son would live and thrive. The last thought on your mind was the memory of a conversation you´d had with the father of your child. You´d liked the name but he had only frowned. You wondered...

And with this last thought on your mind, Orochimaru eyed your slowly fading smile as your eyes fell shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments appreciated <3<3<3


	5. Sensei - part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the Hokage wants to speak to you, he tells you of his plan...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I´m so sorry I took so long to update!!! I´m currently graduating from high school and had to take my final exams.... phew...  
> I have only one (1) left!!!! AND THEM I´M FREE
> 
> well, anyways... I´m so happy I can post the new chapter :)  
> In the last months I have been thirsting for Oroxreader stories but unfortunately, there´s an established lack of these.... it hurts my heart so much. 
> 
> Happy reading <3

It seemed like a hummingbird had nestled into your cardiac chamber while you nodded at the Anbu and made your way over to the office, not able to shake off the fishy feeling.

The whole way, not once had the thought came to your head that it would be best to turn around and escape the confrontation. But once the doors of the Hokage´s office closed behind you, the weight of your previous actions settled on your shoulders. The guilt made you unable to look at the old man sitting at the desk and your voice failed you.

“G-good morning, Hokage-Sama.”

His voice sounded dry and you could tell that he was not facing the entrance to which you were really happy about. Instead of greeting, he began to speak.

“A mission which I gave to one of my best Jōnin and one of my very best students – failed. The applicant – dead. Two ninjas of the team get murdered and the team captain leaves the gates of this town to become a nukenin. The last member of the team – which happens to be you – shows up casually the next morning without a scratch and a notice of to where she´s been.” He left a small pause and you heard some rustling which made you guess that he had turned around. “Can you explain this to me?”

The sudden awareness of everything that had happened hit you like a rock. Since you and Orochimaru left, you had completely forgotten about your teammates. They were dead. There was nothing in this world you could do to ever see them again. And what did he say about Orochimaru? Did he really leave forever? Did he leave you behind without thinking of taking you with him to wherever he was going? The wave of desperateness brought tears to your eyes and you bit your lip to keep your sobs at bay, to no much avail.

The Hokage let out a sigh and you heard him come closer. “Tell me, did Orochimaru mess with your head, girl?”

It only made you cry harder and shake your head. What if the Hokage knew what had happened between you? Would he throw you out of Konoha? Would he punish you?

“I always knew he was… different. There was an evil aura clinging to him like a shadow but nonetheless, I loved him like a son. I wasn´t strong enough to stop him. Now my town will pay the price. He´s planning something.”

You raised your hand to press it against your mouth in hopes of stifling your cries. Was it true?

Hiruzen eyed your quivering form and suppressed another sigh. The old man seemed to be able to read your hopelessness off your mind like a notice board. Why hadn´t he punished you yet? Had he something planned out?

“I know for a fact that he has a soft spot for you. Orochimaru wouldn´t have wasted his precious time with you on this consequential day otherwise.”

The Hokage´s words only soothed you a little bit, but they managed to stop the tears and your gaze met his. Was it possible that he knew?

“He´s my Sensei… I… I can´t help but want him to come back…” You couldn´t finish your sentence until you broke out into sobs again. Hiruzen nodded, seeming to understand what you really wanted to say.

“Listen, girl. I believe in your good intentions. Orochimaru and I lost our connection years ago. I´m sure he wouldn´t hesitate to kill me in a blink of an eye. But you on the other hand…”

The meaning of his words started to dawn on you. Hiruzen´s old, tired eyes locked with yours. He spoke the next words intently.

“I´m going to say this only once. This is a top secret mission. Once you start off, there´s no coming back. You mustn´t tell a soul, only I and a few of my closest advisors will know about your true intentions. You will live like a nukenin, a rogue ninja, until you succeed your mission.”

The tension in the air made it unable for you to speak. In your head, your hometown, the place where you had grown up, started to detach from your mind like a thread frogging and slowly unwinding a piece of knitting.

“I believe that you´re the only one who can bring him back and stop him from chasing after his silly goals.”

His words plopped against your head like hulking raindrops and you needed a moment to piece them together. The Hokage´s gaze bored into yours, awaiting your answer. Certainly he wanted to make sure you understood the risks. It was quite funny, he probably thought he left you a choice. For your heart and mind, there was only one possible way.

 

You had been traveling for months, following every whisper you heard about your Sensei´s location. Finally, you found an opening to Otogakure and slipped in. Miles away from home, you could only think of a warm bed and a big meal. Most days were spent homesick and hungry. In addition to that, you unfortunately had come to know what it felt like to be a rogue ninja. Some people that spotted you had tried to attack, some had only thrown harsh words your way. But the worst was that they let you know it was impossible to go back home.

It was a strange feeling. At home there was your bed waiting for you, a house waiting for you to take care of. The old playground, the academy. After the talk with the Hokage, the old man had told you to leave immediately. There had been no time to say goodbye to your friends and family. They were all waiting for you and over time, the memory of your face and voice would fade. You couldn´t stop but think you failed them.

With all this heavy burden on your shoulders, you decidedly had stepped into the land hidden beneath the sound. If there was a chance of your Sensei being here, then you would search for him. But you should´ve known better than to come unprepared. The intertwined underground hallways were worse than a maze. Pulling yourself through the endless halls, you slowly lost sanity. The air was suffocating and you had asked yourself a hundred times if maybe, it was better to turn round. It was impossible to determine how many days had passed. Or had it just been a few hours? Your body lacked sleep and food. Everything that kept you going was the thought of your Sensei. You´d lost your home and your mind. Your body was at its limit. Yet still, the image of him was crystal clear.

It looked like you had reached a kind of basement. The voices startled you. They moaned in pain, talked to themselves in hushed words or started begging for you to free them. Hesitantly, you came closer just to jump a few steps back. They were disfigured with missing limbs, burned faces and things you didn´t want to speak of. The sight made the blood freeze in your veins and for a second, the thought that formed in the back of your head made a violent shiver run down your spine. Was this _his_ work?

After a few seconds you naturally edged closer to a cell and with shaking hands tried to open the lock.

“If I were you, I wouldn´t do that. My Lord does not approve of things like this.”

The sassy voice made you turn around in an instant and you faced a young man your age. There had been no sign of a ninja nearing. Were you losing your touch? As he took in your face, his features changed a little and a knowing smirk pulled at his lips.

“Oh, I see. My Lord told me you were going to show up soon or later. Come with me.”

And with that, he just turned around and walked away. Your head hurt. A million questions popped up while silent alarms went off in the back of your head. Was it a trap? Would he really bring you to… to Orochimaru? As much as you hated it, your legs started walking on their own as soon as you realized the chance of seeing him again.

“…you know Orochimaru? Did he… did he speak of me?”

You were unable to hear if he answered the question because your heart started beating so loudly in your chest it almost made you deaf. The mouth-watering light spot, the nervous flicker of hope of meeting him again made you almost unconscious with excitement and before you knew it, the two of you stopped in front of a door. Not wondering how the man had found it in this huge complex, you pushed it open with buckling knees and sweaty hands.

The room full of sterile tables, work desks and exotic-looking plants only passed by your gaze. The thing that attracted your eyes like a moth to a candle was the person that stood with his back towards you, leaned over a desk. The long silky hair that was draped like a curtain over his back wiped out the last piece of doubt.

“S-sensei…”

The word got almost swallowed in your throat while you said it. There he was, after months and months of searching. After sleepless nights and endless headaches. After several weeks of hunger, after pain and feelings of repudiation. You were finally here with him.

Orochimaru let out a chuckle as he heard your voice. It made the tears rise to your eyes as he finally turned around to face you. He still looked exactly the same. Your pulse sped up even more as you remembered your last encounter together. Yet, you couldn´t stop the feeling that rose inside your chest, telling you something inside him had changed.

“My dear ___. I wondered when you would come to visit me.”

Despite Orochimaru´s sly smile, your body shuddered in an attempt to suppress your sobs and you lowered your head. He walked up to you and took your chin between his fingers to tilt your face back upwards. It was impossible to hold back the hot tears that ran down your cheeks as you faced him. Oh how you´d liked to hug him, to press your face against his chest and never let go again. You tightly grabbed his hand which cupped your cheek and tried to hold it still as if you were afraid your Sensei might disappear immediately and leave you again.

“I heard you left Konoha.”

Orochimaru silently watched your badly supressed outburst of emotions with a somewhat satisfied glint in his eyes. You weakly nodded, staring into his eyes that you´d searched for so long. No matter how many weeks, months or years, there was no way you could ever forget the warm, golden colour of his iris.

“Were you searching for me? Oh, you foolish girl…”

Orochimaru´s voice kept soft as he glanced down at you with his warm but judging gaze. His light scolding reminded you of when he had trained you back in Konoha and you had to smile. In the old days. They laid in the past now and there was no way of going back. _Why didn´t you take me with you? Why did it take so long to find you?_

“Did the old man send you?”

It felt like your stomach tried to tie a knot as you remembered all of a sudden. Right, you had a mission… How could you have forgotten about that! You were working for Konoha. But you were doing it for _him_ , to bring him back and make everything alright again! He belonged in Konoha, next to you. But the leaf still sent you, so that meant that… this was all so confusing.

Orochimaru´s eyes narrowed as soon as he detected your hesitation. “Kabuto.” His hissed command felt sharp in your ears. Suddenly, your hands were tied on your back and the young man took you in a headlock. You had completely forgotten that he stood behind you. You had let down your guard… How could you have thought that you weren´t safe here, with _him_? The look of fear and confusion on your face deflected off your Sensei.

Orochimaru´s eyes had changed. The warmth of them had vanished and there was only cold, scheming estimate of the situation flashing back at you. In all this time, he had never look at you like this. You had been right, he had indeed changed.

“N-no, wait, but I can explain-“

“Enough! They sent you, didn´t they? Unfortunately I can´t let spies of the leaf live. But, since you´re my student, I´ll make an exception. Kabuto will take care of you until we can be sure you´re clean.”

All this time you had lived inside a snow globe and now someone had grabbed it with both hands and decided to give it a good shake. Your own childish illusion of the reunion burst like a sickly pink balloon and it dawned on you that your Sensei could pose an even bigger threat than possibly anyone else.

This was the lion´s den. You knew that only your self was to blame for being so careless. But what you didn´t know was that the worst part was yet to come.

Next thing you knew, you were back at the room with the prisoners. Kabuto chuckled as he locked the metal cage behind him. “Curiosity killed the cat, they say.”

 

It felt like the encounter had happened only seconds ago. This change of scenery had happened so quickly that your mind still seemed to be miles away. Inside, you were trying to get a hold of your nervousness and anticipation, but the bleak bricks and metal bars made the helplessness slowly sink in.

Instead of happily welcoming you into his arms, Orochimaru had thrown you into a cell. To be precise, the same one which you had seen mere minutes beforehand. _I should´ve rescued the other ones then… now I´m in the same place._ The happy tears from the reunion still dried on your cheeks while you had to admit that you´d been living a lie. Orochimaru had planned to leave Konoha from the start. You hadn´t been involved anywhere.

The scene replied in your head again and again. Orochimaru´s words were etched in your mind when you finally fell asleep. So many miles away from home, never to return again. That night awful nightmares plagued you. But they were the least of your worries.

 

In the morning, well, you _guessed_ it was, Kabuto came and slid a plate with some paste to eat into your cell. His smug grin burnt in your eyes, reminding you once more of Orochimaru´s rejection.

“I´m not really hungry.” You muttered without looking at him, sitting still in anticipation and… fear. Should you be scared of Kabuto? Orochimaru wouldn´t allow him to hurt you… right?

Wrong again.

There had been soporifics in the food. It had given Kabuto the necessary time to prepare a special lab for you. Once you were passed out, he had managed to transport your sleeping form into it. Orochimaru had been serious when he said Kabuto would take care of you. To be precise, he would make sure Konoha didn´t turn you into a secret weapon, into a _spy_. What did you think you wold look like to him? It was only natural they suspected something. Naturally, your self was to blame. Well, Kabuto would make sure you would tell him the truth about your mission. Caught like a mouse in a trap, there was no one and nothing that could save you from his very special methods of making sure you wouldn´t lie to him.

 

Orochimaru looked up from his subordinate who had just informed him about the sighting of leaf ninjas in a 5 kilometer range from the entrance to Otogakure. _Very_ _Suspicious_. Had someone led them here? All of a sudden, the snake-like man remembered his student. There had been some doubts about her being a spy from the leaf. Even though he personally didn´t believe she was, being 100% sure was always the better option. He probably should check up on her soon. After all, it had been a week since he had left her to Kabuto´s care.

 

Orochimaru didn´t grimace at the sight before him. His gaze drifted over your figure, sticking to your shut eyelids, the dried tears, the blood and spit dripping from your open-hanging mouth and the limpness of your body that hung from its strained arms. Cold sweat had dried on your skin and here and there caked blood stained your dirty clothes.

Orochimaru stepped closer and tilted your head upwards. He had told Kabuto not to cause internal damage or mutilation. Yet, judging by your black eyes and swollen face, he´d had a fun time playing. With two fingers Orochimaru pulled your eyelids open while he held your head still with his other hand. Good, her eyes were unharmed, for the majority. Her pulse was slow but steady and her breathing told him she was merely passed out.

His student, that had once been his pride, was wrecked.

It had been necessary.

“My Lord, I´ve done everything in my power. It seems like her intentions are true, yet I´m not sure if we can trust her in the future.”

“Leave that to me, Kabuto. We can let her recover for now.”

 

All the things you had went through to find him. All the things you had willingly done and stood through just to see his face again. All the pain you´d felt kept pouring down on you combined and it felt like you couldn´t breathe. You would die, chocking miles away from home and going down as a known traitor.

Just as you were sure to take your vey last breath, a sudden load of air in your lungs made your eyes shot open. Surrounding you was not the cell and also not another lab. Waking up from your half-conscious dream, you noticed that your body laid in a hospital bed, next to machines and a drip connected to your IV. “Sore” was not a good way to describe its condition. You felt like a truck had driven over you several times and then proceeded to drag you with it on the high way. No matter how much you strained your muscles, the pain that surged through you at the attempt was too great. Even _looking_ was painful and you could tell your eyes were red and strained and bruised.

In front of you stood Orochimaru, his hand laying on your chest and having a comforting, warming, green glow to it. With each second it felt easier to breathe. Yet, as much as you tried, it was impossible to speak since your body still battled the exhaustion it had went through. You felt ashamed that he saw you like this. You were at your weakest point, how could you have the courage to face him like this?  
After your breathing had evened out, Orochimaru removed his hand and straightened himself up. His face held his usual sly, yet somewhat proud glint.

“My dear, ___. I knew you were a fighter. After what Kabuto put you through it will be fitting to pick up on training in three weeks, don´t you think so?”

As much as you were relieved to hear those words, you couldn´t shake off the suspicion that they tried to lure you in with their velvety and sweet voice. _It was you who told Kabuto to torture me after all, it was you who didn´t believe me._ Even though thoughts like this crossed your mind, there was this feeling pulling at your very heartstrings. You could make him proud of you again, train with him again, be close to him again, maybe even retransform him to the man you knew and loved.

And in the end, the excitement of going back to being student and Sensei outweighed. Additionally, the longer the tall man let his dangerous eyes glance into yours, the more you could feel your desire rise. His taste had been burned into your mind ever since that night and just the thought of what had happened drained the air out of your lungs again.

Orochimaru must´ve noticed the internal battle going on in your head because a victorious smirk stole itself onto his lips as he saw the resistance melt off your features like ice cream in the sun.

“Very well. Have a fast recovery, ___-chan.”

And with that he left, making you wish you could speak up and beg him to stay. You felt like a small child, scared and helpless, not knowing where you were. Even though you felt betrayed and deeply hurt, you couldn´t stop wishing to be with him again. To have his lean but strong body hovering over you while his hair fell down and tickled your chest, feel his lips kissing along your neck…

There were so many questions you wanted to ask him. You would work on breaking down the walls he had built up since your last encounter. And you would start with it once you were able to stand up from this damned bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments appreciated! <3


	6. A new life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Modern!AU   
> also domestic Oro is goals  
> This was a request from my tumblr

It had been one of those nights. Orochimaru´d said he would come home early, so the dinner had been ready and you had been sitting at the table, waiting. But as the hours went by, the chances of him being early diminished to nearly zero. It was pointless calling him, because he was either still at work – the lab was a phone-free zone – or driving. In either cases, you weren´t mad at him. Being the head of his team brought great responsibilities and he had worked hard to be where he was now. He _always_ worked hard.

After a while you had settled onto the couch, and turned on the TV. You turned on your favourite show, it was called “Hello Counselor” and contrary to its name, was actually a Korean comedy show. You always had to turn on the subtitles, otherwise you wouldn´t understand a thing. But today it was hard to focus on anything as it was getting overshadowed by the words you carefully spun since morning. They left you excited, happy but also scared. Before you knew it, you had picked up on your old habit and bit your nails.

The sounds of distant steps and jingling keys made a feeling of home settle in your stomach. Immediately you got up and rushed to the door, falling into the arms of your partner once he had stepped into the house.

He welcomed you with a low, warm chuckle that you felt vibrating in his chest while he pulled you close to him and kissed your hair. This was by far always the best moment of the day.

“I kept you waiting again, my love…” Orochimaru said after a few moments, his hands stroking over your back and holding you tight. You didn´t reply, instead lifting your head to look at him. Since the day you´d met him, you hadn´t stopped looking at him with this admiring gaze in your eyes.

Orochimaru leaned down and placed a longing kiss onto your lips. After you pulled apart, he got the chance to take of his coat and lean his leather shoulder bag against the wall. A glance at the TV. Your favourite show was on, that meant he had really kept you waiting. A look at the watch.

You went into the kitchen while he took off his shoes. “I´ll warm up the food for you.”

“It´s already late, my dear, let me do it.” It was his way of showing guilt. He wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you against him before you could reach the cooker. You giggled and he kept you tight, using his other hand to stroke the hair away from your neck to place a loving kiss onto your skin.

“I want you to get a good amount of sleep. I´m the one who was late after all.” Indeed, while he needed only 4 hours of sleep (how?), you on the other side needed a minimum of seven. You turned around in his arms and faced him, smiling up at your pale-skinned boyfriend. He took your face into his hands and leaned down again to kiss you. You came to nuzzle back against his chest while he rested his chin on your head.

“That stupid trainee again… thinks he´s so smart and ends up almost destroying the whole quantity of samples…” He muttered into your hair

You giggled against his chest. “Don´t be too hard on him, Oro. He probably feels intimidated.”

It was true, almost the whole team was scared of your boyfriend. The funny thing was, you shared a workplace. While he had just been promoted, you had started working as a packaging designer. On your first day, a co-worker had given you a tour to make you familiar with the company. He had also shown you the lab, where you had inevitably bumped into your current partner. It had started with a lazy side-glance, a lot of blushing and wide smiling on your part, and Orochimaru eyeing you up curiously but a lot less conspicuously. Even two days afterwards your knees had still gotten weak.

Yet it had taken a month till you started dating. Two years after the start of your relationship, you had moved in with him into the house he had inherited from his parents. His mother had died 10 years ago and his father lived in an alms-house. The two of you visited him every now and then. Even though you worked at the same place, your relationship hadn´t stirred up a controversy since you both worked in different divisions. Fortunately, the company had given you a permanent job, allowing you to leave your designer´s company where the competition had always been really high and stressful. You could never forget Orochimaru´s proud look. After you had designed the packages, the company had asked you to also give them a new logo and freshen up their website (even though that wasn´t what you had studied, but it wasn´t hard for you). Currently, you were working on packages for their subsidiary.   
Also, rumour had it that the head of the company planned on giving Orochimaru the lead after his retirement.

“Go to bed, love. I´ll join you very soon.”

It really was late. With a sigh you nodded and let him kiss you goodnight. While he heated up dinner you slipped into your pyjamas and brushed your teeth. As you slipped under the covers you suddenly remembered something. The whole day you had wanted to tell him something… Now it was too late. You could already feel yourself dozing off when you head hit the pillow and only partly felt Orochimaru slipping into bed on the other side and wrapping his arm around you. Tomorrow, then.

 

When the alarm rang, it was the first thought that came to your sleepy mind. Orochimaru reached over your body to turn it off and kiss your hair. He always woke up before you and let you snooze for 20 minutes longer to slowly wake up. But not today. You rubbed your eyes and sat up with a groan. A chuckle resounded from next to you.

“The last time I saw you getting up at this hour was when you wanted to watch the, what was it called, “The last airbender marathon”? “

You giggled and blindly punched into his direction, hitting his shoulder. He chuckled again and ruffled your hair. “Feeling naughty, are we?” His words made a shiver run down your spine and you internally cursed because it wasn´t Sunday and you couldn´t spend the whole day in bed with him.

You tried to get up but slumped right back down. “Oro…can you carry me?” You croaked out, leaving your head hanging low. You were definitely not a morning person.

Orochimaru cocked his head but lifted you up, nonetheless. Engulfed into his strong arms, you wanted to go right back to sleep but your nervousness prevented it.

The both of you got ready and you sat down at the table while Orochimaru made breakfast. How could you break down the news to him? Your head was almost smoking while you bit your lip, tapping your fingers onto the glass surface. How would he react? This one question was nagging at your brain the whole time.

Finally, Orochimaru sat down and put two plates with delicious looking scrambled eggs and toast on the table. You were far too nervous to take a bite so you took a huge breath and looked at him.

“I gotta tell you something, baby…” Orochimaru looked up from his breakfast, sensing that something was off immediately because you seldom called him like that. In the meantime, your eyes widened. The nickname you just used was dangerously close to the topic you wanted to talk about.

“Er…” Just to be sure, you searched for something like a bowl in case you really had to throw up from the corner of your eye. Your hands started trembling and you looked back at Orochimaru, who had fixated all his attention on you. No backing out now. Just say it. How can that be so hard?

“I´m… pregnant.”

You bit your lip, anticipating his reaction. You had talked about kids at the start of your relationship and agreed that you should wait a minimum of three years before you started planning on getting a baby. Now, your fourth anniversary had been three months ago, but because of work, nobody had started planning _anything_.

Orochimaru completely stilled, eyes wandering down to your belly. It looked like he was completely emotionless but you knew him. He was overwhelmed with the situation. After a few seconds he stood up and kneed next to your chair to put a hand on your stomach.

“The test said I´m three weeks pregnant. I know since yesterday…” You felt tears rolling down from the corners of your eyes. Not because Orochimaru hadn´t reacted yet, not because you were unhappy, but simply because the situation had finally sunken in. It had seemed so unreal the whole time.

 “I sensed that there was something.” Orochimaru started and then looked up at you. At the sight of your tears, his eyes widened and he quickly leaned up to wipe them away. Finally, a smile grazed his lips.

“Are you happy?” You asked carefully. His smile grew and he cradled your cheek against his hand, using his thumb to stroke over it. “I am.”

“Do you… wanna keep it?” -  “Of course.”

You let out a breath you didn´t know you were holding and smiled. Orochimaru went back to stroking your belly. There was something in his gaze and you could swear you´d just seen a thin watery layer graze his extraordinary beautiful eyes. That your body was able to produce _life_ … amazing. You would give him a child. His admiration for you was clearly visible in his eyes. No doubt he would start treating your body like it was made of porcelain.

Suddenly your hunger kicked in and you grabbed for the fork to start eating. Orochimaru was quicker though, because he stood up and snatched the plate from under your nose.

“Oro! – Why?” You whined out but he shook his head and walked back into the kitchen with determined steps.

“Don´t eat that. You need something way healthier.”

“But you´re going to be late for work.”

Orochimaru paused for a moment, then continued putting things from the fridge onto the counter. “I´ll call and say I´ll be late today. After all I don´t have an assistant for nothing.”

You gaped. In all those years, he hadn´t been late for a second. It seemed like parenthood really changed people. With a smile you went behind him for a surprise hug. “I love you.” You whispered into his back.

Orochimaru chuckled. “I love both of you.”


	7. Never cry no more

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, I´m so sorry I didn´t update earlier! I didn´t really have access to my computer the last couple weeks... I hope my life will go steadier! T_T  
> This is also an request from tumblr, enjoy~

From the moment Orochimaru was awake, he could feel something wasn´t right. To be precise, it was the person next to him who was radiating an abnormal amount of heat. Knitting his brow, the snake sannin reached out and cupped his partner´s forehead. Their temperature was noticeable above average and it seemed like cold sweat had dried on their skin as well. The condition worried him since his loved one seldom if ever got sick.

“My love, wake up.” The sanning tried to carefully wake the person next to him to no avail. The worried expression on his face softened and he had to chuckle inwardly. They had never been a morning person. He would settle for the old method, then. 

Through the depths of your dreamworld you suddenly felt a familiar sensation. Without seeing it, you already knew what was going on. Blindly, you reached out to bury your fingers in long, silky hair. It was hard to supress a giggle from how the tips of it tickled your exposed neck and shoulders. Even though your head felt heavy and ached and your general condition wasn´t up to normal, the loving kisses which Orochimaru placed on your cheeks were making up for everything. 

“Oro, it tickles!” You giggled out and opened your sleepy eyes to look into your partner´s golden, snake-like ones. God knew you would never get tired of this sight. 

“I see you´re awake.” Orochimaru said and leaned back on his side of the bed. His warm smile faded and swapped with a worried expression. “You´ve caught a fever.” Fortunately, this was your day off. He didn´t ask you how you felt simply because he  _knew_. 

You nodded and yawned while Orochimaru leaned over to his nightstand after he examined your action with his usual vigilance. “I´ll call Kabuto.” He mumbled while you rolled around under the covers to sit up, just to get stopped by his gaze. It was always the same. Whenever you felt tired or just a little bit sick, your partner would do his utmost to take the heat off you in any possible way. Usually that involved his minions doing lots and lots of tasks. 

In short, you would live like a member of the royal family for the next few days. Orochimaru didn´t show it, but you guessed his overprotectiveness had evolved from the loss of many loved ones. He never spoke of them but the glint of deepest worry in his eyes was able to tell more than words. 

“I´ll stay here with you until you feel better.”

“But Oro, don´t you need to supervise the new project today?” He replied with a small smile and got up to push the covers off and lifted you up into his strong arms. “Nothing will get in the way of caring for my dearest. Now, you need to take a bath so the heat can escape your body.” 

You nodded and took the golden opportunity to nuzzle into Orochimaru´s neck. The urge to cuddle him for the rest of the day was very high to all times. He carried you into the bathroom and drew a  warm bath while having you sit on his lap. 

You felt a little cheeky so you started placing kisses and nibbles on his delicious looking neck. Orochimaru threw a soft glare your way. “Don´t.” It made you pout since he spent very much time in the lab, leaving very little to your relationship…

Your little pout softened his glare and he cupped your forehead again as if you were dying every minute. “But Oro…” After he want back to checking on the water you grinned a little and leaned forwards again, kissing your way up from his neck to the underside of his jaw. His hands settled on your shoulders as if to pull you away, but remained there as if he´d just remembered you were sick and he couldn´t handle you too roughly. 

It was actually the perfect situation, having him here to your mercy since he couldn´t do anything. The way his skin tasted and felt soft and delicate under your lips was enchanting. Soon, Orochimaru had to agree that he was rather fond of your actions. A low moan escaped his throat and his lids were about to close when there was an awkward “ugh…” at the door. It made both of you turn around to face Kabuto, who was quickly adjusting his glasses to hide his blush. 

“H-here, the medicine you requested, Orochimaru-Sama…”

Your partner took it from Kabuto without a blink of an eye and dismissed him. Nedless to say there already had been many moments like this. For the rest of the day or week Kabuto would keep being in the room next to the bedroom and have to jump at every one of Orochimaru´s orders revolving around your health. 

After Kabuto left the bathroom, Orochimaru saw his opportunity to escape the wonderful but distracting moment you´d set up and placed you in the tub. The water wasn´t too hot nor too cold. Giving you a kiss to your forehead, your partner stood up to growl some orders out of the door. The sudden warmth almost lulled you back to sleep. The exhaustion was written on your face as you closed your eyes, just for a few minutes…

The water felt heavenly and relaxing and you took a deep breath. Orochimaru watched you and made sure the temperature didn´t change. After 10 minutes he woke you up and toweled you off, then carried you back to bed. Someone had brought in breakfast in the meantime. 

Orochimaru wrapped you in blankets and placed you protectively in his lap. Here, surrounded by his warmth and protection and love, was the safest place on earth. If it were possible you would spend days just cuddling and napping with your love in bed. 

Your head was clearing little by little and you nuzzled against his neck. Orochimaru stroked over your hair and held you tight. Somehow, you got the idea that this wasn´t only healing you but him as well. All the hours he had to spent away from you were making him a kind of sick. Seeing that he neglected his work for you made your chest swell in pride (figuratively). Even though you knew he loved you, it was hard to believe he would actually do something like that for anyone.  

“You have to eat something.” Orochimaru´s warm voice brought you out of your thoughts. Even though you wanted to enjoy the moment, you had to think of what would happen when you were healthy again and he would return to his lab, leaving you alone…

“Feed me, please.” You almost whispered out the shy request, looking up pleadingly into Orochimaru´s golden orbs. Even though it sounded like a huge cliche, puppy eyes worked on him. 

He took the toast in his hand and brought it to your lips. You took a bite while you were cuddled against his chest, feeding off his body heat and feeling cheeky for it. The next time he brought the food to your lips you leaned forwards to put a kiss on his fingers instead. It actually caught him off guard and you had to giggle, leaving your body trembling. 

It amused him and he gave you an eye smile. A look at the watch made his brows furrow though. Did he think of work? Did he plan on sneaking off after all You wanted to pout but then you got an idea. You let out a caugh. “Oro, I don´t feel so good…” 

His head turned in a second and he eyed you up, feeling like he had to comfort you immediately by putting kisses onto your hair and stroking over your back. 

“Don´t worry my love, I will stay with you.” 

Feeling content because of his promise, you nuzzled into his neck and enjoyed his closeness. Your arms sneaked their way around his back where they found the long, ebony black strands of his hair and played with them. 

“Oro?”

He hummed and fixated you with a warm gaze. You leaned forwards to whisper into his ear. “I love you.” When you leaned back, there was an honest smile on his face and he kissed your forehead. Suddenly feeling very dizzy again, you nuzzled back against his chest and let out a small sigh. 

“Take your medicine, my dear.” Orochimaru opened the bag Kabuto had carried with him before and pulled out a small jar which contained a white powder. You grimaced, Kabuto´s medicine tasted awful. Even though your partner held a spoon in front of your mouth, you pleadingly looked at him. But it was all for nothing. He shook his head. 

“I have to insist on this.”

“…can I at least get a reward?”

“And what would that be?”

“Some alone time with you next week…” 

Orochimaru thought for a few moments then he finally nodded. You squealed happily and hugged him even tighter what made him chuckle. After taking the  ~~freaking awful~~  medicine you had the feeling that your body shut down to sleep the fever away. 

Nuzzled against Orochimaru´s chest, you listened to his heartbeat while dozing off. He stroked through your hair, his other hand placed comfortable on your back. 

“Don´t worry my love, you´ll feel better soon.”

In his arms, no one would harm you, no one would attack you. Orochimaru watched over you. There wasn´t a safer place on earth. 


	8. Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orochimaru has a nightmare and his partner comforts him <3  
> This baby deserves it!
> 
> Btw there´s a samurai AU coming up!!!

It was the middle of the night, around 2 am, as you woke up. The dim light from the alarm clock did nothing to improve your sight as you tried resisting the urge of just turning around and going back to sleep. Suddenly you got aware of the sound of heavy breathing next to you. It had been there the whole time but you recognized it as the source of your waking now.

Frowning, you hastily leaned over to the nightstand and turned on the small lamp. You squinted from the light and turned back to your boyfriend to find him scowling with closed eyes, sweaty strands of hair sticking to his forehead while he squirmed and trembled slightly. There weren´t many days where Orochimaru had a nightmare, but when he did, it was really intense.

The sight was heart-breaking and you immediately tried to wake him, stroking the pitch black hair out from his face that seemed to be even paler than usual. Your sleepiness had almost vanished completely and was replaced by worry and compassion.

“Oro, wake up. Wake up, you´re dreaming.”

You wanted to end his suffering, to pull him out of emotional memories and past-induced guilt. Every second that he spent without his face twisting into a frown was precious. Orochimaru stirred slightly but didn´t wake completely. The cruelness of the dream dug its claws tightly into your partner, numbing him for your words, for your tries on saving him and letting him escape. It was his past that haunted him, his guilt and fears.

“Orochi, wake up!”

You grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him with more force. Acting of reflex, his ice cold hand shot up and wrapped tightly around your wrist, yet his arm was like frozen, moving like a rusty machine when he was driven by fear.

Terrified, the black haired man opened his eyes, staring up into yours in pure horror to be immediately wrapped into your warm embrace. “It was a dream. You had a nightmare, everything is alright. You´re here with me.” The words didn´t stop him from trembling in your arms, golden eyes darting hastily across every corner of the room while he tried calming his rapidly beating heart. If he was ignoring you in a last attempt to save his pride or if he really was still too far gone was hard to say.

 It was tough trying to warm his sweat-drenched body, but you kept the closeness, stroking reassuringly over his hair while cooing sweetly into his ear. “It´s alright, Oro. It was only a dream, I promise.”

Slowly, very slowly, Orochimaru´s breathing slowed down to normal. His tense shoulders did only lose up a little bit while he collected himself. You didn´t ask, you never did. Finally, Orochimaru relaxed against your body, leaning his head against your chest while he wrapped his arms around your waist. It was a lovely gesture, yet dampened by the saddening circumstances.

Pressing a soft kiss to his temple, you tried unclamping his arms from around you so you could take of his wet shirt. It was discarded to the floor, and you quickly wrapped the blanket around him, wiping his brow with the tip of it. “Everything´s alright.” You cooed again, letting him lay down and rest his head against your shoulder.

Stroking over his hair, he fell asleep, so tired that it only took him seconds to do so. The next day, not a word would be spent about the incident. Orochimaru had his pride. Yet you would always be there to comfort him.


	9. Edo - Era AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orochimaru x Apprentice!Reader
> 
> Disclaimer: The history I describe is not the one that happened in the past and this story is not based on any historical facts at all.   
> This story was written solely for the purpose of creating more Oro fanfiction content. I am deeply sorry for the ppl who love the Edo-period T_T

As soon as the threadbare litter hit the ground, you knew what to do. Rushing to the kitchen, you fetched a boiled-out piece of cloth and a bowl of clean, hot water to dab away at the wound so that skilled, slender, long-fingered hands could remove the pieces of metal and sew the display of blood and life shut. Even though you watched these hands work for hours and hours each day, the amazement of their precision and agility never frayed.

Soon, the room filled with a filthy smell, creeping into every corner and holding tightly onto clothes and tools as the intensely clinked, accompanied by the sound of flat breathing of the patient. Yet, the man working to save the life of the soldier did not falter in his stance, bent far over the litter. Risking a small glance at the body under the tight manner of a mere female maid, you knew that it would take a while until it would leave. As soon as the thought passed your mind, you scolded yourself. Had your master not forbid you to objectify patients that were not yet dead, since it could cause inconveniences should they survive.

A frustrated sigh left his throat and made you flinch. Without looking back or muttering a word, he held the needle to you, completely lost in concentration. With a polite yet unnecessary bow you quickly took it from him and rushed to replace it. Over time, you had learned to know his commands by heart. You two worked together like some kind of device most of the time. Once the new needle found a place in his hands, he immediately continued his work. With ease, the hands which could easily pass of as the ones of a fine porcelain puppet threaded the needle and worked on getting the wound shut.

With the serious cases, he completely shut off his surroundings like he did now, squinting and lightly shaking his head because a strand of his hair fallen into his eye. Even though nothing that had ever left his lips came close to a similar order, you slid the hair tie off the low ponytail and gathered the sassy strands back before you tied them together. With a cloth that hadn´t been the same one as for the patient, you lightly dabbed at his forehead before continuing to watch. These actions were only possible in a moment like this. Even though you and your master stood beside one another, you were worlds apart. For a few moments you weren´t able to take your eyes off his beautifully focused face, not realizing that you let the cloth glide from your fingers until it hit the ground with an almost inaudible sound.

That was when footsteps neared the house. Alarmed, you hurried outside to resolve to the matter. Some soldiers were on their way inside, yet you did your best to look at least a little bit convincing as you blocked their way.

“You!” One of them shouted, “Are you Orochimaru-Sensei´s apprentice?”

You nodded quickly. “Please do not disturb him while he tends to a patient, I can-“ Before you could even finished your sentence, the man forcefully pushed you to the side and continued on his way, the other ones following behind him. It was obvious that they belonged to the man inside and were considerably agitated, yet your check stung awfully painful.

Hurrying inside after them, you noticed with relief that your master had already finished his work and washed his hands in the basin. The men carried their college on the litter out of the house and back into their camp, leaving you to rush and clean the dirtied ground. Orochimaru was a wise man. He had taught you to always boil out the clothes you used on patients, to interpret different symptoms and the whole analogy of the human body. You had fallen into his hands by coincidence, due a debt of your parents, and worked as his apprentice from that day on. He was indeed a wise man, and the one you loved.

Watching from the shadows how he completed his work of art with dedication and passion for years had made it so easy for your heart to melt into his skilful hands. After you finished cleaning, you went back into the kitchen to make tea and dinner. Enduring your feelings was particularly hard when your master had female patients. Even though he firmly believed to pay no real mind to his patient´s gender, you could see that he was more careful, gentler with women.

Oh how much you wished to lay under him and let him work on your body in a different way under different circumstances. Your heart painfully tightened a little each time you had thoughts like this, when you were trapped being so close yet so far from love.

Mindful not to disturb Orochimaru in his studies, you entered his chambers and set the tea and a plate with rice and meat aside him, before you bowed to leave. However, he called you to stay. Squinting, he took your chin between his fingers and tilted your head to the side so he could view your bruised cheek. For the instance of a few seconds, you swore to see his jaw tense.

“I fell.” You muttered, not wanting to admit the truth and make him think of you as weak because you couldn´t stand up against a few men. “No lies.” He hissed and you squeezed your eyes shut in shame while he retreated his hand. “Don´t be foolish and tend to it with some ice.”

You did it right away, sighing in relief as the cool ice numbed the pain in your face.  A few times an hour, your master would call for you, to run some errands or to have him explain something to you. When you were younger and had just started working with him, the black-haired man had given you a stack of books to read. Afterwards he asked if you had understood everything and tested it. Later then, you´d been allowed to assist him during his dissections. It was much easier to use the bodies as learning material when they were dead. Of course, nobody other than the two of you and some other scientist could know about this. 

Now you were even allowed to perform some things yourself. Stitching up the body afterwards was kid´s stuff, you were allowed to expose hearts and examine stomachs while he watched. In these moments you felt so close to him, doing his work and being immensely proud when he gave a short nod in approval.

There was something nobody told you about working for a master, the unspoken orders. Orochimaru often forgot to eat. Sometimes, you used that to your advantage and brought him even more meals a day to help him gain a little weight. It broke your heart when he seemed to have lost some due to a busy schedule.

Orochimaru had only a handful of friends even though he was respected by the whole village. One of them care particularly often to his study. He had a bad reputation with women and when you informed your master about his visit, Orochimaru always claimed not to have time. Yet, when you thought that his isolation had reached a bad level, you let him in nonetheless, using excuses like “He didn´t let himself be put off” or “He said it´s really important”. Even though Orochimaru was guaranteed to hiss at you, it made you so happy to see him in the presence of a friend. Afterwards he seemed calmer, gentler and your heart dripped with love.

Orochimaru wasn´t a very social man. Your house was never closed for patients, only on New Year’s your master went to visit his aunt for two days, leaving you alone to look after his study. When he wasn´t working, usually he sat day and night in his study. There weren´t many social events to attend to begin with, yet a lot of times the families of his patients sent invitations for dinners. He declined every time. “Time is a valuable thing.” Was what he always said.

Sometimes, the families also gave presents. In all those years, it had happened twice that they actually sent small and colourful hair accessories for you. These families had been poor and even though the stuff was tacky, tears had welled up in your eyes out of thankfulness.

There had been a few incidents that you swore never to think of again. A while ago, a father of two sons had been brought to your house. Orochimaru had treated his stab wound. His two sons hadn´t left his side in hours, one of them was a few years older than you. He had come a lot to the shop afterwards and brought you flowers. The cute blush on his cheeks made you happy, somehow. Deep in your heart, you knew that you loved your master yet it felt so good to be smiled at, to be given attention in another way.

Orochimaru had been angry when he found out. He´d shoo the boy away in a manner that had even scared you to death and the boy had stopped visiting. Orochimaru said you should “focus on work” and never spoke of it again. Yet, a month later when you´d asked to go to the Sakura festival in town, he had said no and given you a few more books to read.  

…

The downside of having wounded soldiers return from war was the tension lingering in the air in the whole town. With every man returning, the general hope took a striking blow and the unrest lingered in the air over the city like a sickening plague. The few men that came back were sullen or totally traumatized, asking too much of the local doctors with their limited capacity of caring for psychological needs.

There were two that had committed suicide after a mere two weeks after returning. They had claimed to hear voices and make out faces in the dead of night. “Haunted” was the word they´d used, yet it did nothing to improve the ex-soldier´s conditions. Orochimaru was a scientist as much as he was a doctor. Their corpses had been sent to him. This time, the preparation and vivisection itself had taken a whole day, even with your assistance.

You weren´t the infamous doctor´s apprentice for nothing.

Fortunately, you were mostly shielded from the growing despair of the citizens. Only when you made errands it was that you heard them mutter and sneer. Fitting for narrow-minded people of their time, they were horrified upon hearing that their beloved ones would get dissected. With every day you were more scared to go outside. Yet, because of Orochimaru´s reputation, thankfully no one dared to threaten or hurt him.

It wasn´t until the third soldier had died and been brought to your home, that things started to heat up. Somehow word had gotten outside the families about the dissection of the soldiers. It wasn´t safe to go outside anymore. No one would come to your house and attack you, yet only a fool would go on the street like a mouse into a trap.

Well, a fool that cared for their master. You had ran out of things to eat, so you had to go to the market. Little did you know how angry they were.

 

The first blow landed on your stomach. With a gasp, you toppled over and tried to protect your front while the kicks seemed to come from every direction. You felt so useless, cowering in agony on the ground until the pouring rain shooed them away. Because every fool knows a fever ain´t worth it.

He found you when the rain had stopped, after passing by your crumbling, drenched form once, hoping that it was someone else. The sudden touch when he wrapped his coat around your shoulders startled you out of your haze and with widened eyes you took in your position. Orochimaru picked you up like an injured bird, holding you tight to his chest while he clenched his teeth to bear with guilt, sadness and anger. “Stupid girl.” He muttered, stroking the wet hair away from your face. He laid his hand across your forehead, head falling forward in a hopeless sigh as he clutched your frame tighter to his chest. “Stupid girl!” A small smile pulled at the corners of your lips as you leaned your head against his chest and listened to his heart beat during the agonizing walk back home.

Instead of laying you down on the patient´s litter, he carried you into your bed and removed his coat. You violently protested as he opened your kimono, yet he shot a sharp look your way and halted your attempts. Even though you knew he had to medically examine your body, the realization of his duty made your hands tremble and throat run dry.

You shielded your eyes with your arm out of embarrassment as your kimono fell to your sides. Seconds later a cold hand settled onto your left lower rib. “Tell me when it hurts.” It wandered upwards to the point where his hand touched the underside of your breast to continue the examination. You had to bite your lip so hard that you felt an iron-ish taste in your mouth in order not to mutter a sound. The gentle, yet worried examination tinted your cheeks a deep cherry red and you did your best not to tense up.

On the other side, you howled like a dog when he touched your second rib, gritting your teeth as you tried to squirm away from his touch. Not only were you coming down with a fever, you also had a broken rib and two fractured ones.

From this day, it was Orochimaru who cared for you. The fever had chained you to the bed and sleep took over for the most time. You often awoke all sweaty and dizzy, weakly calling out to have him by your side. It was soothing and you wanted to smile, yet you supressed it in favour of Orochimaru´s dignity. A master shouldn´t have to care for his servant like this.

When your condition got better, another wave of soldiers returned. Yet they were very different from the ones who had returned before. They looked into each and every house, searching for food, material and people to do without to tribute to war. When they came to your house, Orochimaru denied your existence at first.

“Look at her, she can´t even hold a pen. I wouldn´t know how she´s of use to you here, doctor.”

Orochimaru was burning up in fury. Four of them came to his house, looking for things to take. “You see, we´re a bit short of manpower on the compound.”

Your eyes nervously darted to your master, gulping in fear. He wouldn´t let them take you, right?

“I´m very sorry to inform you that I need her. My apprentice assists me during my sessions, I can´t do without her.” - “Oh, doctor, I´m sure you can. Why don´t you come to the frontline and heal our soldiers? There are a lot of more capable assistants, young sturdy fellows.”

 When some of them put his hand on your arm to pull you to your feet, they suddenly howled in agony. With a tiny needle, Orochimaru had managed to hit a very sensitive nerve, sending them flopping on the ground while he took down another one. In the end, it was in vain. At the same time, half a dozen of them entered the house on the search.

As much as you were thankful, you wished he hadn´t fought for you. The restrained him with five people, the last one sending his fist into his jaw to “calm him down”. You felt as if someone had hit you just as hard upon seeing it, your heart tightening in your chest. Nothing but a few helpless glances were swapped between you two as they eventually took you away.

 

They stuffed you in a carriage with a lot of other people who had been taken away from their homes. A lot of assistants, some not even 13 years old. Your heart become heavier with every meter they brought you further away from your love. It was a new kind of fear, which let you think about not only the things that would await you at the destination, but also fear the day you´d come back.

The work on the compound made your hands sore and mind dull. It were mostly the same movements, producing weapons, patching up clothes and packing food. All of the things here, which had once been a field, were makeshift. No houses, only tents, no pillows, just your hands and arms. Soldiers came and left, full of energy or dread. You were astonished with the amount they could eat. Yet the worst were the ones that craved a different kind of hunger.

It seemed like the war never ended. You tried writing letters, to your parents which you hadn´t seen since the day they had given you away, to your few friends in hopes that they were still in the village and of course to your master. Yet you never finished and sent a single one. It was too hurtful to send something to your friends and family. Telling them that you were working yourself to the bone certainly wouldn´t soothe them. Yet, maybe they would be happy to know you were alive…

It was different with Orochimaru. There were thousands of things you wanted to tell him, yet they always ended in “I miss you”. And that´s something you would never be comfortable with to tell him. As much as you actually did, you were scared to reach out. He was probably alone right now, without someone to look after him… Would he get a new apprentice right away? Well, all people capable of work had been sent away, so that left just a handful of actual workers in the village. But maybe, someone wounded and young would come as a patient and stay as an assistant.

You shook your head. Those thoughts were like venom to your mind. After all, it was for the best if Orochimaru got a new assistant. Also, you couldn´t fit the image of him reading your letter in your head. In all those years, he had never said that he appreciated your actions of care. He had never explained his feeling for you, not even on a master-apprentice level. Maybe he really was relieved that they had taken you… and yet, he was the only place you could return to.

There wasn´t much time anyways to write and send a letter. Also, the post-office´s abilities were very limited with all the letters the soldier´s received and sent. Apart from that, you wouldn´t be able to pay with money.

Orochimaru paced up and down his study. It had been two weeks since they had taken her and the house seemed empty. So very empty. He forced himself not to think too much about it. She was just an apprentice after all. But hell, he had invested so much time and money into her! They had undone his year-long work at one dash. He could still look after patients, of course, but two or more times he caught himself calling out to her or looking over his shoulder.

The war felt endless and consumptive. Everything was exhausted, the food, the soldiers, the workforce, the whole land. When the message came, it would take decades to go back to normal. Everyone´s mind was dark and hurt, not aware of time, only set on the pictures and sights in their memory.

Orochimaru had contacted the compound a few times. They had relocated her twice, deeper and deeper into the south and he´d lost track. The wise man could only imagine what she was going through. Some of them had returned because they had gotten injured. When asked about it, they refused to speak and shook their heads violently until the person walked away.

It was right before winter when another carriage arrived in the village. He heard it coming by his window. For a few seconds he debated on whether to go out or not. His usual endeavour of not displaying his emotions held him back from looking while inside, he was dying to know. At first they had come as two or three into town, full of people, usually older ones. Then they had started to diminish and the frequency lessened, until one or two only came twice a month.

Orochimaru was set on staying inside when he heard the hopeful cry of a woman outside. Without thinking, his feet carried him outside to the market place. He couldn´t quite make out the people who sat on the chariot, but they were more than in the last ones. A woman was running next to the carriage, sobbing and waving to someone inside that then jumped out to throw himself at her in a hug. They were probably mother and son, judging from how the woman clutched to the small boy.

It had been three years. Years in which people had starved, people had died from causes more diverse than a colour palette. The wise man stayed a good 30 feet behind from the cluster of people consisting of those who had come to watch and those who dismounted the chariot. One after another, they came down and immediately vanished into the crowd, melting into it like a blob.

The air was full of cheers and sobs, from those that were reunited with their beloved ones and those who still waited for them and lost hope. A few feet next to Orochimaru who did his best to seem unfazed by everything, an eager man asked the coachman when they next chariot would arrive.

“I´m sorry but this is the last one. The compounds have been totally evacuated, not a soul is still there. Winter is already there in the south.”

Something in Orochimaru throbbed painfully. Even though he had forcefully supressed all and every thoughts of her, somehow the hope had still survived. Heck, he had come here hoping that she would dismount from the carriage. Letting out a sigh, the doctor turned on his heel and walked back.

There were footsteps behind him in the ground wet from morning rain, stopping right behind him.

Three years.

Would he even recognize her? Slowly, he turned around, cursing internally for his heart to pound wildly in his chest. And there she was. Orochimaru didn’t recognise the woman before him. She was much thinner than in his memories, her cheeks having lost their roundness, her hands unbelievably rough and bruised. Yet her eyes, he would never fail to see those.

A few moments passed by, in which none of the two said anything. He was aware that he also had changed, tired out and stressed from war. Even though she was silent, her face told him what she had gone through, the things that had been taken from her and the long, sleepless nights in which she had stitched up old uniforms and poked her fingers a hundred times. He said her name, shaking her to her core. “Hello, master.” Her voice sounded deeper, almost hoarse.

Eventually, her gaze faltered and she let it sink down. The dress she wore didn´t belong here. The coat looked way too large on her and probably was made for a man. Orochimaru turned around and went towards home. He looked over his shoulder to tell her to follow him. Even though none of them said anything, their hearts burned up in emotions.

When they were finally home, Orochimaru showed her into her old room. Everything except the futon had been taken out. When he was about to leave to give her some privacy, he suddenly felt a force pulling him backwards. Like the boy had done, she was suddenly pressing against his chest and wrapping her arms around him.

Startled, he pushed her away at arm´s length. Her face was all red and hot tears flowed down her cheeks. Three years. He had no doubt that she was a woman now. It felt like her presence put a tea light back into the house, small yet illuminating every single room. It felt like she put everything back into place, counting in Orochimaru´s mind. With a sigh he pulled her back forwards against his chest, holding her as tightly as he could while she cried soundlessly into his shoulder.

The war was over. Both of them had made sacrifices they would never speak of.

Just for now, everything was back to good.


	10. 27th October 2018

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I´m a few hours late, but Happy Birthday <3

Orochimaru was quiet as you took a break twenty miles from the collapsed headquarters. It was hard to believe that Otogakure vanished as if swallowed by the earth, as if it had never existed in the first place. Years of planning, secretly pulling strings and brutal work were destroyed in seconds as the bomb blew off. You didn´t know why or how, but the two of you and a handful of subordinates had survived. Looking at the strained features of the snake-like Sannin, you were perhaps getting an idea.

Ignoring collateral damages and the fact that no process had been lost, the place where you had mainly lived for the last 5 years was gone. This way of thinking still held an alien feeling to it, yet with time you couldn´t help but to aim for the same goals as him.

Judging from Orochimaru´s distant look, it was hard to tell if he´d ever viewed Otogakure as a home. The heavy rain failed to mask the millions of worries going on inside the mastermind and the scale pattern on his yukata looked horrifyingly real in the dark, making you wonder why you chose the clothing as a gift. The snake was considered to be sly and deceptive, yet you knew that while Orochimaru could chose when to put on the mask, he couldn´t chose when to take it off. At least not with you.

Although his piercing golden eyes kept gazing into the distance, Orochimaru kept constantly scanning the setting, waiting for another attack even though both of you knew it wouldn´t come. Years of hiding and secret working had let even the most dangerous become paranoid. It wasn´t often that he let anyone touch him, not even you. On days where he felt impatient and frustrated, as if the seconds ran by in a threefold speed, his aura had something absolutely devastating. Even now, these days gave you nightmares about that he´d never turn back, that he´d end your life like he´d threatened to do a million times.

Even though it was heart-breaking to witness these small seconds where the mask broke, the times when he felt like he´d never achieve his dreams, when he could swear the ghost of his father had talked to him this morning, when he suddenly saw all the blood on his hands, you used them to hold him tightly as if the world ended, to show him that you were the one thing in his life that would never leave.

No, leaving was not option. Leaving had stopped being considered the second you looked into these golden eyes that shone full of malice and said “I´m yours”.

“You´re getting soaked.” With a worried expression you stepped next to him, trying to bury your own grief and sorrows now that your home had been taken and reached for his ice cold hand. From the corners of his eye, Orochimaru took you sharp into focus. His long, nimble fingers laced with yours and you had the long-time familiar urge to shudder at the thought of how many men had fell victim to them. Pitch-black pupils trapped in gold watched as if they could look behind your skin and examine your blood and tissue. And still, your heart swelled with each beat at the contact.

You must´ve really been affected by the loss of your home, what came to a surprise since you thought the death, horror and sorrow of the past years had completely sealed your sympathy because all of a sudden Orochimaru´s gaze softened and all of the snake´s shrewdness melted as he looked away, not wanting to witness your sadness and rather wanting to believe you were doing fine, just like him.  _Just like him._

Without thinking, the painfully fragile part that had been devastated today made you threw your arms around his shoulders, embracing his form and holding onto him in equal terms. Orochimaru was astonished for a second, his elegantly lavender framed eyes widening as he processed the action before his arms wrapped around you in the same fashion.

It was a rarity and you needed it so, so bad. His touch said more than he ever would _._ They were hard times, after all.

 _> > It I´m going to protect you. You won´t die and leave me._ <<

Tonight, Orochimaru wasn´t untouchable. In the makeshift bed after all the lights were dimmed, he pressed his lips tightly to yours. Your body was tired and craving affection, finding comfort in the hot rocking of his hips as you were finally allowed to kiss and touch the flawless skin all you wanted. Just for tonight, the tips of your fingers explored the finest black silk as Orochimaru loved you, in more ways than initially intended.

Was his gentleness meant as an apology because he couldn´t protect your home, your safety? He saw you suffer, anger boiling up in his gut at the thought that he could´ve prevented it. Orochimaru´s lips found your neck, tenderly aiding to the sensitive skin. Suddenly they halted and you felt his warm breath fanning over your jaw. Was the hunt still not over? Would the snake decide to eat its pray after all those years? You were like frozen, breath hitching in your throat as you laid still in fear and awaiting the predator´s final move.

In the next second, sharp fangs pierced at your skin, yet were quickly replaced by a soothing tongue. It made you sob out in relief and the tears were flowing freely down your cheeks as your rapidly beating heart tried to calm itself.  

Orochimaru held you tightly in his arms for the rest of the night. When was the last time he´d allowed himself to be so close to you? He didn´t push you away as you were pressing kisses against his lips while he drifted off to sleep. This way they would prevent him from spilling the secret he long since held onto.

Holding you in his arms meant that you would be there when he woke up. There were so many threats even a genius wasn´t immune to. Either he´d wake up with you in his arms or none of you would ever open their eyes again.

Orochimaru would never under no circumstances admit that these were the only two options he´d chose.


End file.
